Our View: President Trump is Putin's beaten dog

We are sure that throughout history many foreign leaders have grovelled at the feet of American presidents for help, mercy, or one reason or another.

Our presidents have always been looked upon to lead and be decisive, fair and powerful.

Most have aspired to be like the great leaders before them, men like Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Franklin Roosevelt.

Donald Trump is not most.

Our current president appears to only admire brutal and corrupt dictators, men like Rodrigo Duterte, president of the Philippines, and Vladimir Putin, president of Russia.

Trump has repeatedly praised Duterte for his use of death squads to "handle" his nation's drug problem, and Trump is now taking a page from his playbook, calling for the use of the death penalty here in the U.S. for cases involving drug dealers. Trump offered an invitation to the White House earlier this month to the dictator.

Of course, Trump's admiration of Duterte pales in comparison to his blind worship - or is it obedience? - to Putin.

Our intelligence community has warned Trump that, under Putin's leadership, the Russians have - and will continue to - meddle in our elections. They have initiated cyberattacks against our country, targeting multiple critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation and manufacturing. And they used a nerve agent to poison a Russian ex-spy and his daughter on British soil.

Trump, though, would rather take the word of Putin when he says the Russians are innocent and harmless over the findings of our long-time allies and our intelligence communities.

So, here is the question: Does Trump just have a disgusting obsession with brutal dictators or do Putin and the Russians have some serious dirt on or leverage over the "billionaire"?

The answer appears to be both.

Trump has made it clear he adores the strong-arm tactics of Duterte, and he refuses to condemn Putin for even his worst transgressions, and, at this point, it is getting hard not to conclude the Russians are holding something over Trump's head.

Trump even took time out of his schedule to place a call to Putin to congratulate him for his sham presidential victory earlier this week, despite Trump being given warnings from multiple national security advisers not to do so. The Russians were the first to alert the media about the call.

It is like Trump is a beaten dog seeking approval from his abusive master.